Description

The Graduate Student Professional Development Grant (GSPDG) was established to encourage student participation in scholarly and creative activities that support academic progress and foster professional growth. The grant is competitive, and funds are subject to availability. Awards will be allocated by a grant committee appointed by the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies.

Grant Guidelines

Student Eligibility (Please see Eligible Expenses for more details.)

Graduate students are eligible to apply for an award if the following conditions are met:

The student is in good academic standing in a DU traditional, graduate, degree-granting program and within the time limit of his/her degree at the time of the activity. Sturm College of Law, University College, and non-traditional program students are not eligible.

The student has been accepted to present, perform or compete at a significant conference or exhibition, or is conducting dissertation research and participating in the annual spring quarter DU Graduate Student Research Day.

The proposed research project or creative activity directly relates to and advances progress towards the student’s degree.

The student has received partial funding from his/her Graduate Student Association (GSA) in the academic quarter prior to applying.

Award Priorities

Travel to present, perform, or compete at professional academic conferences or venues is a first priority.

Preference is given to students participating in conferences with the greatest impact on professional development and that provide the greatest opportunity for public dissemination.

Travel for dissertation research is a second priority. Preference is given to students who are ABD (All But Dissertation).

Priority is given to applicants who have not received grants in the current or previous academic year.

Award Period

The Grant Committee will review applications fall, winter, and spring quarters. The grant is designed to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred in presentation of scholarly and creative work at professional conferences and for travel in connection with research for the thesis or dissertation. During each academic year, students may apply for reimbursement for expenses incurred between the spring and fall application deadlines.

Selection Criteria

Criteria for funding will include the clarity and coherence of the rationale for the project, the significance of the venue, the value of the project for the student's graduate school and career goals, the student’s academic standing, and the relevance and reasonableness of the budget request for the activities proposed. If the number and amount of requests exceed available funding, priority will be given to students who have not received funding in the past.

Contact Information

Application Deadlines

Applications must be approved for funding by the applicant's Graduate Student Association (GSA) and forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies, by the DU staff member who processes the GSA reimbursement, to be considered for funding. Incomplete applications will be returned to the GSA without being considered for funding.

January 15 - funded by GSA in fall quarter

April 1 - funded by GSA in winter quarter

September 23 - funded by GSA in spring or summer quarter

Eligible Expenses

Supported activities include the following:

Presenting a paper or serving on a panel or as a session chair at a professional conference.

Performance or exhibition as required by the graduate program.

Competing at an academic competition in which participation is limited to students enrolled in graduate programs at nationally accredited higher education institutions.

The presentation or performance must be central to the student's graduate studies and serve to contribute directly to his or her degree.